Administrative Staff

Staff:

Stephen L. Fredericks, Founder/Executive Director

Stephen founded The Growing Stage in 1981 following his graduation from Arizona State University. He has served as artistic director for the majority of the company’s Main Stage productions and contributed as a playwright and designer as well. Stephen has received numerous awards throughout his career, including:

The Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Sussex County Barbara Morsell Award for community service.

The American Alliance for Theatre and Education Sara Spencer Award (2008), presented to both Stephen and TGS, in recognition of significant contributions to the field of theatre for young audiences.

The Community Foundation of New Jersey Exemplary Performance in Nonprofit Management Award (2008)

The New Jersey Theatre Alliance Award of Recognition (2008) for having served as chairman for 10 years.

Stephen is a graduate of the Leadership Morris program sponsored by the Morris County Chamber of Commerce and Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business Executive Program for NonProfit Leaders – Arts. He completed the inaugural Institute for Advancement of the Arts sponsored by the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation and serves on the PLOTYA (Producer’s League of Theatre for Young Audiences) five-member national negotiating team.

As a playwright, he has adapted and written 15 plays for young people either individually or in collaboration with TGS Artist-in-Residence Perry Arthur Kroeger.

Thomas served as a trustee of The Growing Stage from 1995-99 before becoming Managing Director in 1999. A community business leader and former owner of Lakeland Travel, he is past president of the New Jersey Travel Agents and the Netcong Business Association. Tom is a graduate of the College of the Holy Cross.

Currently, he is a trustee of the New Jersey Theatre Alliance where he serves on the Finance and Equity committees. He is a also a member of the Stanhope Borough Council where he serves as Chairman of the Finance Committee.

A BFA graduate of Drake University, Lori studied at the Eugene O’Neill National Theater Institute in Waterford, CT, and Le Theatre de Amandiers in Paris, France. As director of educational programming since 1996, she oversees the educational component of TGS productions and coordinates fall and winter class sessions as well as Summer Arts Day Camp, workshops and residencies. A professional teaching artist, Lori has established year-long workshops for both public and private schools in New Jersey. In 2009, Lori was named Arts Educator of the Year by the Morris Arts Council.

As a performer, she last appeared on our stage in the 2014 world premiere production of The Secret Life of Hubie Hartzel as Mrs. Bunce. Other credits include: Mother Hicks in Mother Hicks, Martha in The Secret Garden and the Wicked Witch in The Wizard of Oz.

As a director, Lori has directed a number of TGS New Jersey premieres including Diary of a Worm, A Spider and a Fly, Busytown and most recently Pinkalicious. She has also directed TGS school presentations of Fairie Tales, Poetry & Fun, as well as current production, Tales from the Garden, which celebrates the history and lore of New Jersey and has been performed over 250 times throughout our state.

Perry is an artist, writer, actor and videographer living in Chester, NJ. For over 25 years, he has been associated with The Growing Stage, where he has served as a teaching artist, a designer, writer and director. Perry has been instrumental to the restoration of the Palace Theatre. As the project’s muralist and interior designer, his artwork graces the theatre’s walls and stage, and his conceptual designs have assisted throughout the restoration process.

Perry was recognized for his contributions as a theater artist in 2010 with the New Jersey Theater Alliance Applause Award.

Perry has worked around the world. He was the first American to design sets and costumes for the famed Moscow Art Theatre for his musical, Senator Joe, based on the life of Senator Joe McCarthy, in collaboration with composer/director Tom O’Horgan. In Asia, he worked with young people designing sets and costumes for the musical Around the Greenwood Tree at the International School of Bangkok in Thailand.

Perry is a yearly guest Visionary Artist at Evolvefest Music and Yoga festival in Pottstown, PA. See his work at www.perrykroeger.com.

Danny Campos, Audience Development Director

This season marks Danny’s twelfth year with The Growing Stage. He holds a masters degree in educational theatre from New York University and a bachelors in theatre/music from Albright College. He also attended the Eugene O’Neill National Theater Institute. Danny is a member of TYA/USA, the American Alliance of Theatre and Educational and the International Performing Arts for Youth organizations.

As a performer, Danny has appeared in many TGS productions including the world premiere production of The Secret Life of Hubie Harztel as Hubie Hartzel. Additional performance credits include Frosty in Frosty, Tweedle Dee in Babes in Toyland, Huckle Cat in Busytown, Falkor in The Neverending Story and Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz.

As a director, Danny has directed a number of our Studio Series all youth productions such as The Odyssey, Jungalbook, Wiley and the Hairy Man and Night of the Living Dead. When he’s not on stage or in the director’s chair, he may be found in the classroom as a theatre teaching artist for TGS and throughout the state. Danny is an integral part of our education program and co-creator of the Sandbox Series, a new theatre initiative for the very young, currently in development.

Recently, Danny returned to his alma mater, Albright College, as an Adjunct Professor teaching a course in Theatre for Young Audiences and directing the Theatre Department’s production of The Masque of Beauty and the Beast.